THE GODDESS, TARA, HAS BEEN ADORED FOR MILLENIA AND IS PROBABLY THE OLDEST GODDESS WHO IS STILL WORSHIPPED EXTENSIVELY IN MODERN TIMES. SHE IS ESPECIALLY POPULAR IN TIBET, MONGOLIA, AND NEPAL. HER NAME MEANS "STAR" AND SHE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BORN FROM THE WATER; SHE IS ALSO CALLED "SHE WHO BRINGS FORTH LIFE". SHE WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED AS HINDU GODDESS, A MOTHER GODDESS, BUT ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT SHE IS MUCH MORE ANCIENT THAN THAT. SHE IS THE FEMININE ARCHETYPE OF IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY. HER ANIMALS ARE THE SOW, MARE, OWL, AND RAVEN. TARA IS MANIFEST IN MANY FORMS, BUT THE MOST WIDELY KNOWN ARE: WHITE TARA, WHO IS A BUDDHIST BODHISATTVA OF COMPASSION; AND GREEN TARA, WHO HELPS HUMANITY FROM THE OCEAN OF ILLUSION.

WHITE TARA IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE MOTHER OF THE BUDDHAS AND REPRESENTS THE MOTHERLY ASPECT OF COMPASSION. SHE REPRESENTS VIRTOUSNESS AND ENLIGHTENED ACTIVITY. SHE IS DISTINGUISHED BY HER BODY WHICH IS WHITE, CLEAR AS A CRYSTAL GEM. HER WHITE COLOR SIGNIFIES PURITY, WISDOM AND TRUTH. IN HER MANIFESTATION AS WHITE TARA, SHE GUIDES HUMANITY THROUGH THE STAGES OF LIFE AND THROUGH THE WONDERS OF THE AFTERLIFE. SHE TEACHES THE MYSTERIES OF EXISTENCE. SHE LEADS CIVILIZATION TO UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE, AS WELL AS HEALING THE SPIRIT OR THE BODY AS NEEDED. WHITE TARA IS PICTURED AS SUBLIME WOMANHOOD, ENTHRONED ON HER LOTUS SEAT.

GREEN TARA IS ONE OF THE MOST REVERED BUDDHIST DEITIES; SHE REPRESENTS VIRTUOUS AND ENLIGHTENED ACTIVITY. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF COMPASSION AND GUARDS AGAINST NATURAL DISASTERS. THE FOLLOWERS OF GREEN TARA BELIEVE THAT HER SPECIAL POWERS WILL HELP OVERCOME DANGERS, FEARS, AND ANXIETIES. SHE IS USUALLY PICTURED AS A DARK, GREEN-SKINNED MAIDEN. SHE SPIRITUALLY NOURISHES HUMANITY, RELIEVING SUFFERING AND MISERY IN RELATION TO WORLDLY AFFAIRS. THE GREEN TARA TEACHES SELF-MASTERY THROUGH MEDITATION AND DILLGENT WORK. SHE IS A GODDESS OF ACTIVITY, A FIERCER FORM OF TARA, BUT STILL A SAVIOR GODDESS OF COMPASSION. SHE CAN BE FRIGHTENING, BUT SHE CAN ALSO BE INVOKED TO HELP WITH SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES.